Logistical challenges in the construction of Stockholm’s largest hotel
Skanska built the Clarion Hotel Sign which, with its 558 double rooms and an area of 29,000 square meters, is the largest hotel in Stockholm.
Production took place in an extremely limited space and traffic and businesses surrounding the construction site needed to work as normally as possible.
Parallel to the construction of the Clarion Hotel Sign, several other office and housing projects were underway in the area, which resulted in a number of extraordinary logistical challenges and work-environment problems to overcome.
Cranes crossed each other’s paths, transportation vehicles drove in and out across each other’s areas and a bicycle lane was located immediately adjacent to the site. In addition, we needed to take into account the railway traffic and high voltage lines when we unloaded the structural elements that “fluttered in the wind.”
Skanska served as the general contractor for the project, which meant that the company was responsible for all aspects of the project – planning, materials, construction and subcontractors. It also meant that we had the opportunity to influence and present solutions that were beneficial for the timeframe, budget, work environment and environment.
“An example is the solution we identified together with Green Cargo and the Swedish Rail Administration which allowed us to make use of the location of the construction site next to the railroad yard. The prefabricated structural elements were transported by rail from Slovakia instead of by truck, which meant that we could actually lift them directly from the train cars straight into the building – a brilliant solution for logistics and the environment,” says Magnus Hellsten, Skanska’s Project Engineer for the Clarion Hotel Sign.
The Clarion Hotel Sign opened in February 2008, two years after breaking ground. The 11-story building, designed by renowned architected Gert Wingårdh, is made up of four interconnected buildings with two inner courtyards.
The hotel has a Scandinavian main theme for its architecture, design and cuisine, and put Stockholm on the map in the conference world.
The area surrounding Norra Bantorget has undergone a radical transformation into a vibrant and attractive urban district; including housing, offices, hotels, retail stores, cafés and green areas.
